Only fools turn to violence so quick. . .

It was an important night in downtown ‘Generic Metropolis’ when all hell broke loose… quite literally, since I am recalling this. There was a major sports match, and at the same time the great pop star ‘Vanity’ was putting on a sold out show next door. Across town there was a policeman’s ball AND a local radio promotion bar crawl. As if that was not enough draw, a major political convention was due to start the very next day. People were swarming into the city in droves.

It was the perfect storm. . .

The power had gone out at 9:15PM. It was right in the apex of excitement and intoxication amongst the spread out general population. It was not just the regular grid. . . It was an EMP. Of course, the fools that night had no forethought to determine that. All they knew is that all the lights went out… and then the back up generators failed. And the battery powered flashlights didn’t work… and for the kids… there was no cellphone service. The internet had disappeared. There was simply no connection to any outside source, and even worse to everyone… there was no explanation or timeframe of repair.

The fires started before the rioting did. Thousands of drunk city goers poured into the streets, and with a lack of light… folks began to light anything that would burn on fire. The fires got out of control… a common theme were makeshift torches out of branches and shirts.

Soon after the fires began, the looting also took hold. Windows were smashed, folks crawled through like ants marching along with the colony to pick upon a discarded apple peel. They grabbed and stuffed and sprinted away into the dark. Some coming back two or three times. This began fires in buildings, not by purpose but by the clumsiness of the looters.

The riots began later. When the folks leaving the events came to the realization that their cars wouldn’t function, they turned back upon the city in anger. One argument and shoving contest soon broke out like a rapid spreading virus. Before anyone even realized what was happening, there were two major opposing sides pushing upon each-other with no more better cause than “East vs West”.

Generic Metropolis had never seen such destruction and devastation that night. When the sun had finally arose, and the dust settled, there was nearly a billion dollars in property damage collectively. Fifteen hundred people had been killed in various ways throughout the night. The press suggested that the city would never recover.

What had caused the event? A secret military operation gone wrong. A nearby arsenal was moving an unknown device to a new storage location. The truck had hit a pothole, it jostled the device and set of the largest EMP the world had ever seen. Since the truth simply could not be covered up… The event eventually triggered a new era of war.

What started as a simple switch of the lights, led to the decline of man. Funny how our entire existence can hinge on such basic desires.